


the smell of lemons

by hemothorax



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Character Death, Death from Old Age, Fluff, Happy Ending, Heaven, I promise, M/M, Old Age, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, Someone dies, This is really sad, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and fluffy, but at the same time its really cute, but i swear ITS REALLY CUTE, just read it, oh yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 08:39:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10532862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hemothorax/pseuds/hemothorax
Summary: a short write in which seungcheol hasn't seen jeonghan or their pets in years, and they finally reunite.





	

**Author's Note:**

> okay, the tags make it sound sad, and it is, but i promise it has a really heart warming ending and im gonna cry while writing this bc im on my period and i just had a 5 hour energy. im sorry in advanced for any tears you may shed
> 
> [listened to while writing: spring day - bts]

 

 

Another spring day arrived. The sun shown brightly, wisps of white clouds dotting the sky. The cherry blossoms in his front yard shined, petals falling from the light wind making the branches rustle. The sun reminded the old man of his late husband's smile, as it does every day. Seungcheol sat at the window, remembering the day that the family picture was taken, the one he wakes up to every day. It had to have been over 50 years ago, the picture old and worn, a bit faded from the light. Jeonghan smiled brightly, his hands holding a little boy named Jinsuk, their old shiba inu barking at a butterfly that was going by. By Seungcheol's own leg, a little girl pet a cat that was falling asleep in her lap. Meisuk, the girl, was laughing, and Seungcheol was looking over at Jeonghan with deep love in his eyes, his gummy smile coming out as he watched his beautiful husband laugh at something. The picture was beautiful, capturing the purest moments from their early life after retirement.

Seungcheol sighed, recalling the bitter sweet day his love had passed away. He could remember it vividly, although it was nearly 10 years ago. There was something wrong with Jeonghan's heart, and they were unable to operate because of such a large risk due to his age. In the end, Jeonghan signed a DNR and decided to let himself pass peacefully in his sleep, not wanting to be cut open. He wanted to spend his last moments with his family, and the other members of Seventeen had flown in from various places to be with him as well. We had wept, mourning over the first lost member from Seventeen, but it was for the better. His love was suffering, and it was best for him to leave peacefully and painless.

Seungcheol sighed, but it came out more as a wheeze. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was almost 10:30 AM. His care taker, Luda, would be coming by soon with lemon tea and two sugar cubes.

Lemon was Seungcheol's favorite, because it used to be Jeonghan's favorite. Lemon scented dish cleaner, lemon scented shampoo, lemon scented perfume. The house always smelled like lemon because, according to Jeonghan, "lemon smells like clean, and I want everything to smell clean". Seungcheol even planted a lemon tree in front of their church after Jeonghan had passed, and it was in memory of him. At first, Seungcheol had hated the dorms smelling like lemon all the time, but he grew to love it. The smell of lemon smelled like home to him. When he was in Jeonghan's arms, he would smell his favorite lemony perfume and hand soap, making him relax and feel at home.

Three sharp knocks on his bedroom door woke the 92 year old from his thoughts.

"Come in, Luda." His voice was old and raspy, but loud enough to be heard from behind the door.

Carefully, the bright and cheery young girl opened the door, not spilling the tea like she had used to when she first started taking care of Seungcheol.

"Good morning, Seungcheol!" She chirped, her bright, triangle-like smile making his day a bit brighter.

She set down lemon tea, one whole cup with one sugar cube to take a bit of the sour off, on the window sill next to the picture. She sat next to the old man, telling a story about her kids from the other day, and that her youngest daughter was finally pregnant, and she was so excited to have grandchildren on the way.

Luda was a nice, bright lady, around the age of 50. She had been taking care of Seungcheol for about 10 years now, a year or so after her youngest moved out and went to college.

"Oh, Chan and Seungkwan were asking about making plans to swing by here next weekend, if that was okay with you."

Seungcheol smiled, recalling the younger days when they all performed on stage, "Yes, I would love to see them again!"

Luda nodded, watching as Seungcheol lifted a shaky, sagging hand to drop his sugar cube into the lemon tea. For his age, the old man still had a lot of mobility in his hands. Sadly, not so much his feet. There was a reason he lived in a small one-story. His legs had started to give out about five years ago, even with the cane he had. Using both hands, he carefully cupped the tea cup and brought it up to his mouth, taking a sip while inhaling the familiar scent of lemons.

At this age, he was the only one from the 95 line left. Jisoo had passed a few years after Jeonghan did, and the youngers were growing old, too. It wouldn't be long before Seungcheol passed, and he was okay with that. There was nothing wrong with him. He was healthy, and he would probably pass peacefully in his sleep, as many doctors had predicted.

"Would you like me to give you some time? I brought the news up too, so you can look."

Seungcheol set the tea back down, smiling at the younger woman, "You know me so well, Luda."

She grinned again, standing up, "I'll check on you in a few hours, Seungcheol. I'll go to the store to grab some items I'm running low on."

With that, Luda left with a small "Goodbye!" and left Seungcheol with his own privacy.

Seungcheol picked up the electronic pad with the latest news, sighing as he saw the anniversary of their bands disbandment on one of the pages. Seungcheol's old heart was filled with an odd feeling of sorrow and delight. Their band had become wildly successful through the years, and they had disbanded many, many years after their debut. They were even still a band after each member had gone through required military service, and continued to sing for a few years after Chan came back, their last member to leave for the military. 

"Ah.. the good days." Seungcheol mumbled to himself, letting out a throaty chuckle to nobody.

After scrolling through the news, finishing his lemon tea, it was probably around noon at this point. He set the pad down on the night stand beside him, looking back outside the window. Seungcheol would often take his nap around now, seated just where he was, in his comfortable wheelchair and staring out the window with the family photo on the window sill. He glanced at the window sill, carefully wiping some dust off the top, and relaxed in his seat.

As he fell asleep, he felt at peace. He felt accomplished. And, lastly, he smelled the sharp scent of lemons.

 

\-----

 

It was oddly bright, when Seungcheol opened his eyes. He raised his arm quickly to move the sunlight out of his eyes. He hadn't remembered laying down... and the sun shouldn't be this bright. Seungcheol sat up, a newfound strength in his bones. He looked down at his legs, them being covered with ripped skinny jeans he remembers wearing so much during the days of his idol career. He moved his foot experimentally, grinning when his foot responded and didn't just lay limp like it normally would. It took a little bit to register, but eventually Seungcheol was overcome with a sharp pang in his chest when he realized what had just happened.

Seungcheol had passed in his sleep.

Seungcheol sighed, expecting this day to come, and had made peace with it. He used his new strength to stand up, looking down at himself and realizing he was back at the prime age of 23. His muscles from constant working, his rings on his pinkie finger (which he had never taken off, even at his old, old age), his raven dark fringe falling into his eyes. He felt renewed.

There was familiar yelping beside him, and he looked at the source of the sound. A smile spread across his face when he saw the familiar shiba inu, Kula, sprinting towards him. Beside him, their old tuxedo cat, Mina, was tagging along, a bit slower than their dog. Seungcheol could feel tears pricking his eyes, but he willed himself not to cry.

"Hey there, leader-nim." A familiar voice said, and Seungcheol turned around, meeting the grinning face of his long-time friend, Hong Jisoo.

The first thing Seungcheol did was take in how Jisoo looked. He remembered the peachy hair, the glowing, tan skin and wide eyes from their singing days. It was a sight to see, having not seen it in person in many,  _many,_ years. After taking it in, Jisoo took the opportunity to engulf one of his best friends in a bone crushing hug. Seungcheol laughed a little, gripping his shirt a bit too tight, feeling like if he let go then this would all fade away into a dream. Jisoo just laughed, saying something about "thats what I did, too" and Seungcheol nearly burst into tears.

The two reunited friends pulled away from each other, Seungcheol wiping his eyes that were tearing up. Kula started running around in circles, barking at something behind Seungcheol. A familiar ritual that Kula would do whenever someone would come home from work.

"Cheolie, you're here."

The beautiful, angelic voice spoke. A voice that Seungcheol laid by for many, many years. A voice Seungcheol fell for the first day he had ever heard it, years and years ago, back when the two were just teenagers. The same voice that whispered "I love you" every night before they fell asleep, intertwined together in their soft bed.

He turned around, tears falling from his eyes. Those coffee brown eyes, the most beautiful brew that was ever put into anyone's eyes. The bright, wide smile and soft eye crinkles. The youthfulness in his skin, the delicate yet sharp features.

"Hannie."

They hugged, clinging on as if it were their only meeting they would ever have ever again. They clinged, Seungcheol afraid to let go, afraid that it was all just a dream from his overactive imagination.

But then he smelled it. He smelled the familiar scent. Not the sour lemon tea, not the old lemon tree, not the too-sweet lemon perfume. But, that Herbal Essence lemon shampoo that Jeonghan used to wash his hair. The tangy smell of lemons, that Seungcheol missed so, so dearly.

And he knew, he was home.


End file.
